AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once my plate has a bit of everything on it, she turns her attention on her own. She leans across the table, dropping a hunk of binmou meat onto her plate. She sets that down, picking up a bowl of fruit, and begins ladling that out next.
The way that she reaches brings her body closer to mine, and her shirt brushes across my bare shoulder. We both seem to notice it at the same time.
Even though it’s not a significant motion, we both react. I sit up straight, finally snapping my jaw shut. She blushes a little, and her gaze rakes across my bare chest.
It lingers for an uncomfortable amount of time. Something in her eyes changes, looking uneasy more than embarrassed. I watch her face, until it occurs to me to wonder if she’s staring at my scars.
I’ve never really paid attention to them before, though I know that there are a lot of them. It’s just never mattered to me or been worth caring about. Still, something about the way that she stares makes me uncomfortable and self-conscious for the first time in my life.
Maybe I should have put on a shirt before I left my bedroom, after all. It seemed unimportant at the time because I’ve never cared what anyone thought before. I didn’t know that this human would be the first person that I changed for.
She clears her throat and looks away, quickly shuffling food from the bowl in her hands onto her plate. “I’m sorry if this isn’t as good as what you normally eat,” she offers. “I couldn’t find much in the cupboards, and a lot of the ingredients are unfamiliar to me. I did the best I could.”
Then she sets the bowl down, walking around the table back to her seat. I blink to myself, taking in the irony of her comment. I don’t cook at all, so this already seems steps above anything I would normally eat. Heck, I probably know less about how to use the ingredients she found than she does, even if she’s never seen them before.
“It looks delicious,” I finally manage to reply politely. I surprise even myself with my new, docile tone. She looks up at me, wide eyed, but quickly covers her shock by shifting her gaze back down to her plate.
“Where has Drir’gen gone?” I blurt out unexpectedly. I have a lot of questions, but that is the most urgent one. Is he going to wake up any minute and ruin all her hard work?
If anyone would be enough of a jerk to mess up her meal, it would be Drir’gen. She might not realize it yet, but I do.
She pauses with a forkful of food halfway to her lips. “What?” she asks.
While I repeat the question, she takes a bite. She chews a moment and seems to be thinking. Then her eyes light up with understanding.
“Oh, your friend,” she realizes out loud. I nod, ignoring the bristling feeling that I get when she uses the word ‘friend.’
“I sent him home when he woke up,” she explains. “He had a migraine.”
I stare at her uncertainly, tempted to question her. I can’t believe that Drir’gen would just calmly agree to go home the way she’s implying.
Drir’gen doesn’t listen to anyone. But most of all, he doesn’t listen to humans. Especially a small, helpless little woman like her.
I can’t believe that he wouldn’t stay here and see his chance to start last night all over again. He’d make up for the fact that he lost his chance last night, seeing it as a new opportunity to get what he wants. Plus, it would have been his opportunity for revenge against me.
No, there’s no way a demon like Drir’gen left peacefully the way that she’s implying. He wouldn’t have looked away from having her at his disposal, not when it would accomplish two goals at once. Taking her and punishing me.
If he left that easily, he must have had one bad migraine.
But something about the pleasant, relaxed look on her face convinces me not to ask any more questions. She’s happy thinking that I believe it. So, for the time being, I’m happy pretending I believe it.
I let it lie for now, instead taking a big mouthful of binmou meat and chewing thoughtfully. Our eyes lock across the table, and it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t immediately look away, and I’m not filled with rage by it.
The food really is delicious, even if Anastasia didn’t think she knew what she was doing. Either she knows how to cook better than she lets on, or she’s a natural. I end up taking a second big slab of meat when I finish the first.
She’s also made some pan-fried kela, a silvery leaf that grows wild on Galmoleth. It tends to come out bitter and mushy when cooked, but she’s somehow managed to keep it crisp. It’s delicious this way, though I have no idea what her secret is.
We eat in a pleasant silence for a while. The quiet isn’t uncomfortable, but instead quite relaxing. We’re both enjoying the food, and we’ve seemingly at least learned to tolerate each other’s presence enough that it doesn’t feel entirely unwelcome to be at the same table.
But finally, the questions that keep buzzing through my brain demand to be voiced. I’m fed and calmed, and I’ve had some time to sort out and pick through my confusion. I know what’s on my mind, and what I need to know.
“What really happened last night?”
105
ANASTASIA
I take a deep breath, staring at Volikan. His eyebrows are furrowed, picking at the plate in front of him.
